Friend of Miranda Lambert Recounts Daring Rescue from Father's Abduction to Jordan

Lauren Burns, a childhood friend of country music star Miranda Lambert, has detailed her harrowing experience of being abducted by her father and taken to Jordan at the age of seven in her new memoir, "Stolen." The book, which features a foreword by Lambert, recounts the nearly seven-month ordeal and the international rescue mission that ultimately brought Burns back to Dallas.

In 1987, Burns was preparing for Halloween weekend when her father, Ali Bayan, took her for a drive. Instead of trick-or-treating, Bayan flew Burns to Jordan, telling her it was a surprise and that her mother, Cathy Mahone, was aware. However, as days turned into weeks and Burns was prevented from speaking to her mother, she began to fear she would never see home again.

"I didn't think I would ever see my mother again," Burns told Fox News Digital. She noted that her parents had divorced when she was an infant, but maintained a civil relationship, with her mother holding custody. Burns described her father as a loving parent prior to the abduction.

Upon realizing Burns was not at school, Mahone contacted Miranda Lambert's father, Rick Lambert, a former Dallas police officer who ran a private detective agency. The Lamberts, who had known Mahone for years, immediately assisted in the effort to locate Burns. Rick Lambert helped Mahone obtain a warrant for Bayan's arrest. However, the lack of an extradition treaty with Jordan complicated U.S. government involvement.

Mahone then hired a security firm for $80,000, comprised of former special operations personnel. She traveled with the team to Jordan, disguising herself as they located Burns at a school in Jerash. The rescue involved Mahone boarding the school bus Burns was on, confronting a chaperone, and escaping with her daughter.

"My mom had her hair covered," Burns recalled. "She came over and tapped the window. I looked straight into my mother's eyes and all I could think of was that it looks just like my mom, but how can it be? I thought I was dreaming. My mom started motioning me to come and get off the bus, but I froze."

After the escape, the team drove Burns and Mahone across the Allenby Bridge into Israel and then back to the United States. Burns returned home three months after her abduction.

"The first person I saw when I was coming down that runway was Miranda," Burns said. "She was probably four or five years old, a little thing with this blonde hair. She was running and pushing past all the other people."

Following her return, Burns' mother, fearing further abduction attempts, kept her in hiding, leading to frequent moves throughout Burns' childhood. By high school, Burns had moved 14 times. Rick Lambert became a father figure to Burns during this period, and she developed a close bond with Miranda Lambert, whom she described as "like a little sister."

Bayan was indicted abroad and arrested in 1990 upon returning to the U.S. He was sentenced to eight years of probation. Burns eventually confronted her father about the abduction, to which he responded that he believed he was doing what was best for her by raising her in his culture and beliefs. Burns has since forgiven her father, though they have not spoken since 2019.